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Gifts, Santa, and family time. While most children are thrilled by the approach of Christmas, some parents have mixed feelings.
Dr Marc de Rosnay*, from the University of Sydney’s School of Psychology, talks you through some possible concerns you might have about your children: Read full article

This year, there will be no surprises at Christmas time for my six year old son. No, he hasn’t been a ‘naughty boy’ and therefore undeserving of Santa’s generosity. The reason my son will have no surprises is that he will choose all of his presents and be with us when we buy them, in November. They will then be wrapped and put under the Christmas tree. Read full article

It's my absolute pleasure to recommend you consider a UNICEF gift this Christmas. A gift that helps a vulnerable child seems a beautiful way to celebrate families getting together during the Chirstmas holiday season. And I love the name for this initiative: Give Good gifts. UNICEF gifts are delivered to the children who need it most. The gifts include polio vaccines, nutritional health supplements, educational tools, baby weigh scales, water pumps, bicycles for UNICEF field and community workers, emergency shelter and vital community infrastructure. Read full article

My youngest child recently celebrated his first birthday. Being the third child he has always had to fit in with the schedule of the other two as well as us, so naturally his first birthday was shared with the big soccer presentation day. It was a very busy day, kick-started with balloons and present opening ...as I always do on my kids' birthdays reflected on his birth – the order of events, how I felt when he was born, etc. But I also found myself revisiting feelings of being very thankful that he was here with us, because my pregnancy with him hit some bumps along the way. At the beginning of it, I honestly thought he was gone. Read full article

Join Amani and her little sister in this joyous celebration of a Lebanese Muslim wedding. Delightful and beautifully illustrated picture and story book for children. Will Amani be the perfect flower girl? Read full article

Merry Chrismukkah: Jewish Christmas- kind of ... There’s a good reason Americans wish each other Happy Holidays - it’s very inclusive. In Australia, we generally wish people a Merry Christmas regardless of what it is they might or might not be celebrating. There are various cultural festivals on at this time of year, as well as hybrids. Take Chrismukkah, for example; this being the blending of Christmas and Chanukah for interfaith Christian/Jewish families. Read full article

I have just come off a phone call with a close friend who I have known since primary school – after all these years, she revealed to me today that she has a direct line to Santa. Well, her ten year old girl has apparently confirmed this, having noticed that Father Christmas never leaves her any presents under the tree that her parents don’t want her to have ... Read full article

In Australia, for many, December means celebrating Christmas, hot days, gifts, reconnection and relaxation, family, more hot days and approximately nine weeks of school holidays. We’re a month into summer and the heat can be oppressive. If you’re lucky and have access to a pool, beach or outback dam, the summer break invariably means much time spent cooling off in the water, perfecting the ultimate ‘bomb’ or dive, hunting for sea creatures in the sparkling depths of rockpools and seaweed forests, or catching yabbies in a muddy dam using nothing other than a bit of string and some pongy meat. Read full article

This post is filed under "Love:" Last year, perhaps on this very day, I wrote about a surprise birthday present for Mr 8, soon to be Mr 9. We so enjoyed surprising him with his present – and his delight has continued throughout the year so it was absolutely the gift-that-keeps-on-giving. On Friday when we took him out for an advance 10 year old celebration, he told us he is keeping last year’s gift forever, “for the memories”. Read full article

Halloween - and the excitement levels in our house were reaching fever pitch. My oldest child had waited seven long years to again experience the wonder that is an American Halloween. And on October 31st 2011, any feeling of homesickness was swept aside because on this particular day there was nowhere else in the world we would rather be ... The absolute highlight of the night was the Haunted House ... Read full article